Duquesne (11-6, 2-4) lost to Dayton for the first time since 2022. It had won three straight games in the series and beat Dayton 70-42 at UD Arena last season.
This is the longest winning streak for Dayton since it won 13 straight games in the 2021-22 season. It did not win more than two games in a row in coach Tamika Williams-Jeter’s first two seasons.
Dayton took control of the game in the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run over a four-minute stretch, breaking open a tie game.
A layup by Rikki Harris and then a 3-point play by Harris and a 3-pointer by Ivy Wolf started the run. Nicole Stephens hit a free throw. Then a layup by Arianna Smith gave Dayton a 73-62 with 4:17 to play.
Stephens led Dayton with a career-high 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting. She made 4 of 6 3-pointers.
Wolf scored 13 points. She has averaged 19.0 points per game in six A-10 games. That’s the third-best mark in the conference.
Olivia Leung had 10 points. She has scored in double figures in three of the six A-10 games.
Dayton trailed 21-14 after the first quarter, but the game was tied at 35 at halftime. Dayton took a 59-57 lead into the fourth quarter after two free throws by Nayo Lear with 31 seconds left in the third.
Dayton returns to action at 2 p.m. Saturday. It plays Fordham (10-7, 4-2) at Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx, N.Y.
About the Author